I've got a 5.5ft Cherrywood for short casts & channel cats. I've also got an 8ft 2-piece Ugly Stik for mid range & a little bigger fish. Now I'd like a rod for the really long casts.

If I could get one for $100 or under, I'd like that. Also, I don't know if it would perform any better or not but I think I would prefer a glass rod instead of a graphite rod. I'm too accident prone & I'd probably bump or step on a graphite rod & wreck it. However, it you guys think I would be giving up too much in a long rod by going with glass instead of graphite, I might be willing to risk graphite.

I have 3 of the 14 ft. fenwicks with a 7000 on 2 of them and a 9000 on the other. I don't know the exact distance but at Kerr Lake at the end of the generators is a concrete wall under water that you can't see. Using a 5 oz. bank sinker and running 2 jigs Striper fishing. I have got hung on that wall at the end of the last generator more than one time. Running 40 lb. ande and the stock 7000 reel. Just remember for distance the longer the rod the longer you can cast it. For distance don't go shorter than 10 ft. and I have seen some use 16 ft. rods.

I have two 11' daiwa sealine rods I paid 70.00 for each rod, with RCN60 HC Abu Garcia reels on them. I paid 140.00 for each reel when I bought them, I know they went up about 20.00 since then. The rods I'm not sure if they went up or not, I know there good rods for the money. I also have two 10' catmax rods (basspro) that work well for me to get some distance. Like some of the other post say you need at least a 10' rod and up if you want distance. I have these since I do 95% of my fishing on the bank. But then they have come along way with some of the reels on the market today where you may get by with a 9' or 10' rod. I can tell you from experiance as most boc brothers and sisters the shorter rod gives you better control. It is awkard when you first start using the longer rods.

I agree with the 14' fenwicks.I have my dads that he used below Kaw dam.He could throw FAR.He stripped the rod down and put bigger guides on it.They have a very sensitive tip that takes getting used to. He used to say he could feel a knat dancing on the end of it.lol.IMO they are one of the best rods ever made but are very hard to come by and usually cost BIG $!

The longer 1 piece lamiglass is getting just about as hard to find as the fenwicks, but still alot cheaper. I tend to like the lamiglass a little better as the ones I've used just felt like they had a little stiffer backbone to them. They've been easier to me to get my rig out of the rocks, as that's what I'm a real champion at catching!

Oops, not trying to highjack the mans thread with my above question. I use American Rodsmith, Tica, and Ocean Master 10 foot rods. The American Rodsmiths are available from Academy Sports, and the Tica and Ocean Master are available from Bass Pro Shop. I like the Ocean Master the best, it has a little more flex to it. If you watch their website, you can catch them on sale for around $100. I plan on getting a 12 ft. Ocean Master in the future. I agree that longer is better for casting distance. Doug

If you are a bank fisherman, and you need a rod that will cast forever, I would definately reccomend the 10 foot ocean master. It all depends on what weight and bait you are casting though. I myself cast mostly 3oz weight and at least 6oz bait. The 10 foot ocean master casting rod will do that and more.

xringer, I'd like to know what you did to trick out your long casting 7000, if you feel like sharing your secrets! Doug

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All I do is to use the ceramic bearings for the spool, add a bearing to the handle crank shaft, and use only one of the smallest brake blocks I can get.For the oil, I've been trying the rocket fuel. The red is made for the 7000 and up reels, and the yellow for the 6500 and down. I'll use the yellow on the 7000 but it's much thinner and you have to reapply it alot more often.

As far as the bearings, I use the ones with the ceramic balls, they don't require oil. They make a little noise, but after they break in, BOY will they zing! The main trick I've seen for distance on a 7000 is the ceramic bearings or even stainless with the rocket oil, and the brake blocks. Alot of guys willl not use any brake blocks at all, but unless you're better than me (which wouldn't take much), you'll have hell in the wind.

matt you didn't say whether it was spinning or casting so i'll hop on the baitcasting wagon.

first what weight range are you trying to cast? most surf rods are built around casting 5.25 oz(a baseball) they can easily be scaled down or bulked up to cast different weights. next if you want top distance you're going to have to lean toward grahite or graphite composite. then there's price for a few dollars more the options can really open up. with that said here a few rods to look at.

Ocean Master- 12ft long rated for 6-12oz and can cast more retails for 130dollars.

tica UEHA836502C 12ft rated 4-10 oz retails for 140 dollars

okuma solaris 12ft rated 3-8oz retails for 90 dollars

seastriker rods they have 2 models you might want to look at i think they all retail for less than 120 dollars i know the beach runner does.

BRX2040C11 11ft rated for 3-8oz
BRX1540C12 12ft rated for 4-10oz

hope this helps

X-ringer the difference between yellow and red rocket fuel is the thickness red is generally regarded as tournament caster grade and yellow as fishing. you can either on any reel it just comes down your style.

Honestly man i had the same problem thinking about a good long distance casting rod that will still be able to pull in the monsters. I ended up with a 9ft muskie rod that i know will hold up to the heat. I can cast it a mile with my 7000 on it so i wouldnt be surprised to be able to cast it two with the new reckor reels. Thats the best rod i found for long distance and strength.s

My favorite for long distance is a 14' Fenwick, custom built as a 'river rod'. The day I bought it, I bought a 14' surf rod at Wal Mart for fishing below Dardanelle Dam on the Arkansas River. The first fish I hit folded the rod right in half. I took it back to Wal Mart and exchanged it for another just like it. The first fish I hit with that one folded it up just like the first one. Took it back, swapped it for another just like it. Yep, folded on the first hit. Took it back, got my money back, added some to it and bought my river rod. Several years later, my father in law gave me his river rod that had several inches broken off the tip from being caught in a car door. It's my second favorite long distance rod.